Played a four-ball match this weekend. My partner declared
his ball unplayable after he hit it to edge of bushes about 80 yards from tee.
No shot and no point in dropping two club lengths or behind
on line with flagstick (a dogleg left).
Decided to go back to where ball was played from – this was
the tee.
Question: Was he allowed to tee the ball up on the tee or
simply drop it and play it? We said the latter.
Their argument was that as he was on the tee box it was
another drive. We believed we would have been later disqualified for taking
that option.
Your thoughts?
Many thanks,
Lou from Cardiff, Wales, UK
Dear Lou,
When a player chooses the relief option to return to where he
hit his previous shot, and that location happens to be the teeing ground, he
may play it from anywhere within the teeing ground and he may tee up the ball
[Rule 20-5a]. Re-teeing the ball is an option, so he did not incur a penalty
for dropping instead of re-teeing.
It’s a shame to hit a more difficult shot (off the ground)
when the Rules allow for the ball to be teed up. Rule 20 explains everything
you need to know about lifting, dropping, and placing a ball – it might be a
good idea for you and your partner to review the entire Rule.
Linda
Copyright © 2015 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
